


String of Fate

by Keeeeideeeen



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Gen, Hinata Shouyou-centric, Kageyama supportive best friend, Platonic Life Partners, Soulmates, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:48:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23604070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keeeeideeeen/pseuds/Keeeeideeeen
Summary: Kageyama Tobio and Hinata Shouyo are partners; even though it takes him some time, Tobio realizes this is a fact that can never be altered.
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Readers should keep in mind: All text in italics are the events that took place some time in the past. All text in normal straight font are the events currently and consecutively taking place.
> 
> Enjoy!

“Hinata!” Kageyama called out, glancing at the small boy in the back row. The ball was approaching him rapidly, spinning so furiously, the air around it bent into a spiral. His arms were stretched, taught and bent at the elbows; slender, well maintained fingers spread in anticipation; Kageyama could already feel the coarse, dotted texture of the ball on his fingertips, the dampness left behind by countless setters, spikers and liberos; he could already feel the ball projecting off the first three fingers on each hand, zooming exactly in the direction of his spiker. He could see the set form, a perfect line diagonally across himself, past the wing spiker, past the libero, past the second setter, straight into the highest point in line of impact of Hinata’s spike. He could already hear the impact of Hinata’s palm and the ball, a harsh slap, followed by a loud thud from across the net, announcing the break in deuce. He could hear the joyous scream Hinata would let out, he could even see him running at him in glee, both arms raised in a high-ten, eyes gleaming, grin blinding.

Kageyama was undoubtedly sure of the occurrence of these events, in that exact order. Then why? Why did that sudden feeling in the center of his chest bloom uncontrollably the moment the ball actually met his fingers. Kageyama couldn’t stop his set, his eyes followed the ball that had left his hold, he followed the motion of the volleyball, heading straight to where he intended it to. His eyes widened as the feeling in his chest grew, spreading like wildfire through his abdomen. The back of his mind screamed something he wasn’t able to comprehend in the tension of the moment. What had that glance at Hinata told him? Why couldn’t he figure it out sooner? 

* 

_Kageyama Tobio did not know what a partner was. What he did know, however, was that he needed to be the string holding his team together; a tight, strong string with no danger of being burnt or cut. He had learnt this from watching his upperclassman, the former captain of their team. Oikawa Tooru was not a string, but a towering statue made of unbreakable rock, shielding and guiding his team to the best of his abilities, which were exceptional. He had grown accustomed to the declarations of trust shared between the captain and his team before any match. And so, naturally, Kageyama was the one the team needed to trust now. Kageyama was the one setting the ball, the one finalizing their victory, his team mates needed to trust him completely, with no hesitation. He was holding everything in place, connecting every play, wrapping the game around the palms of his hands to the point of exhaustion. The least the team could do, was match his set; that’s what he thought. But volleyball isn’t a game played by a single person on one side of the court; it is a game comprising of six players, connected, trusting, and at the end of the day, one._

_Kageyama had stumbled upon the word ‘partner’ the day he sent a ball to Hinata in a practice match. He will never forget the amount of satisfaction he felt in the moment his set was matched, when his spiker slammed his ball down onto the other side without even a chance of retaliation by the opponent. And this satisfaction grew in leaps and bounds with the shocking discovery of a blind spike, performed by none other than Hinata Shoyo; a team mate who trusted in Kageyama’s set more than his own spike. He, who was obsessed with the view at the top of the summit, flying fearlessly in complete darkness, unable to catch the slightest glimpse of the beautiful sight._

_“Are you crazy?” Kageyama had screamed, hands fisted by his sides. He couldn’t believe it even after the ball lay on the other side of the net. “Are you absolutely insane, you dumbass?” He couldn’t begin to wrap his head around the spike, especially after the familiar weight of an empty set had clung onto his chest._

_He had been met with those eyes then; those large, brown eyes that gleamed like molten gold under the streak of the sun through the window. Those eyes that did a miserable job at hiding anything the orange haired runt was feeling. And in that moment, Hinata’s eyes shone with happiness and determination._

_“You will bring the ball to me.” Hinata had said with such finality, it sounded like a command._

_Kageyama had been speechless, throat caught in surprise, eyes wide, face heating rapidly in exhilaration. He wanted to scold him instantly, yell at him, that, in spite of trust, he should at least keep his eyes open, that he is a complete dumbass, a verified idiot who runs on nothing but instinct. However, he couldn’t get himself to do anything but stare at the beaming boy for a few minutes._

_Then, “Hinata! You dumbass! Dumbass Hinata!”_

_What had been that feeling? That feeling of something breaking past his skin, weaving through muscle, dodging bones, winding itself around his heart, not restricting, but assuring. What had Hinata done to him?_

* 

The sound of the ball hitting the ground rung in Kageyama’s ears. He watched as the ball hit the ground with a bounce, rolling away in soft hops. His gaze shifted to Hinata, a pile on the floor, shins flush against the ground, legs folded, thighs resting on his calves. His arms were still raised, but falling. His chest was heaving, shoulders rising and falling with every breath. His face was flushed, ears turning red, mouth gaping, hair plastered to his damp forehead, lying thick and unruly. But his eyes were what absolutely destroyed Kageyama. He heard himself audibly gasp when his eyes met Hinata’s. The eyes that were once golden had turned into lumps of coal, wide, red rimmed, laced in confusion. The skin around them was particularly flushed and darkening. He could see the bags hanging underneath his lower lashes.

Kageyama had seen the entire thing. Hinata had jumped, at the precise point Kageyama expected him to; he had lowered his torso, squatting first, to project his body off the ground in what would have been a powerful soar. But his legs had frozen in that position, muscles tightening, then completely relaxing as his legs dragged him onto the floor, weighing his entire body down. His feet were twisted uncomfortably at his ankles. He had fallen helplessly to the ground, along with the ball that had gone up for him; the set that was supposed to be his spike. 

“Huh?” Hinata whispered into the air, head tilted, gaze trained right at Kageyama.

* 

_Hinata tossed the ball, following its path with his eyes intently as it made its way to Kageyama’s awaiting hands. They had been at it for an hour, tossing to each other consistently. They had planned to meet the weekend after their school closed for the summer. The gym was open and available for the volleyball club to practice in, with the exception of weekends, to allow some of the school’s staff to enjoy their summer vacation; but the duo didn’t let this disrupt their schedule, making up plans to practice together at the park or former coach Ukai’s house. This particular Sunday, they had settled for the park._

_“Hey, Hinata,” Kageyama said, tossing back to him._

_Hinata hummed in response, a small smile dancing on his lips as he received the ball._

_“How did you end up such a shrimp?”_

_Hinata’s face immediately contorted into a frown, “What does that even mean, asshole?” He yelled, sending the ball back to him._

_Kageyama grabbed it and held on, slotting it in between his hip and wrist. “I’m genuinely concerned.”_

_“You’re just a genuine asshole!”_

_“Is that the only word you know? My point is, I’ve met your mom, she has an average height.”_

_“WHAT’S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?”_

_“It wasn’t even an insult,” Kageyama scoffs. “how’d you turn out abnormally short?”_

_Hinata’s face relaxes when he sees how dumbly curious he is; huffing, he crosses his arms against his chest. “My dad’s pretty short, I guess.”_

_“You guess?”_

_“Never met him.”_

_“Oh.”_

_“Don’t get all awkward now.”_

_Kageyama scowls. “I’m not.”_

_“Sure, loser.”_

_Kageyama starts walking towards Hinata, almost snarling as he speaks, “What’d you say?”_

_Hinata immediately puts his hands up, palms straight and firm, “W-what? You wanna fight?”_

_Kageyama stops a few feet away from him and glares for a bit as Hinata looks up at him in alarm. “I haven’t either.”_

_“What?” He lowers his arms._

_Kageyama takes the ball into his hands, playing with it absentmindedly. “I haven’t met my father either.”_

_“Oh,” Hinata stares at him blankly for a handful seconds, unsure of what to say. “Was it just your mother, grandfather and sister then?”_

_He shakes his head, looking at the ball in his hands, “Just me, my sister and grandpa.”_

_“I see.”_

_His grandfather’s smile suddenly appears before his eyes, making Kageyama clench his jaw._

_“What’s it like?”_

_Kageyama looks up._

_“Having a father around?”_

_His face softens, eyes wandering away as he recalls the memories he usually locks away. “It was the best.” Only after he’s said it does he realize what it must sound like to Hinata. Kageyama looks at him again, apology already hanging off the tip of his tongue, but Hinata is smiling. He’s smiling at Kageyama like he’s never smiled before, a wide smile travelling from his lips through his cheeks, all the way up to the corners of his eyes. His face has lit up, and he’s looking at him with something Kageyama can’t comprehend._

_“That must’ve been fun, right?”_

_Kageyama just nods, not breaking the gaze._

_The glint in Hinata’s eye sharpens as he says his next words, “Well, even if I didn’t have anyone to teach me volleyball when I was younger, I have you now. I have you all.”_

__

__

_Kageyama is rendered speechless, something that he’s grown used to with Hinata at this point._

_“And you have me. All of us.” Hinata continues._

_A smile spreads across Kageyama’s face, eyebrows slanting upward, eyes sharp and set, he nods, “Yes.”_

__

__

_And just like that, Kageyama tosses the ball straight into the air, right above the space in between them. Hinata doesn’t need to make any effort to catch it with both his hands, fingers splayed around it evenly._

_Kageyama wonders if ‘partner’ is a word he can use, now._


	2. Chapter 2

Kageyama’s feet carry him forward at their own will, he should be thinking about the score they just lost, or the shrill whistle from the referee, or the fact that coach Ukai, Takeda sensei and their manager are running toward them. But all he does is jog to where Hinata has collapsed, still in shock. He kneels in front of him before any of the others get to him. Wordlessly, still holding his gaze, he shifts the hair off Hinata’s forehead, placing a cool palm on his skin. Just as he assumed, Hinata’s skin is burning; it warms the entirety of Kageyama’s hand as he turns it to place the back of his hand against his forehead as well. Kiyoko is squatting next to the pair, the coach is crouching next to them, Takeda sensei is watching from behind him, the rest of the team has huddled around them, each and every one visibly worried. 

“Kageyama?” Hinata asks softly, voice barely above a whisper. The look in his eyes doesn’t change in the slightest. 

“You have a fever.” He replies.

As soon as Kageyama’s hand is off Hinata, Kiyoko places hers against his skin, checking his forehead, cheeks and neck; after which she nods at coach Ukai, who is watching silently, creases building on his forehead.

“Let’s get you up.” Takeda sensei offers, looking tensely down at the confused boy. 

Daichi is beside Hinata in an instant, winding his arm under Hinata’s and across his back. Tanaka is following Daichi’s actions, both the boys hoisting him up. Kageyama stands up as well, and the small group shuffles to the bench. The rest of the players follow distantly while Takeda sensei strays away to speak with the referee. An emergency time out is announced after a short talk, just as they set Hinata down onto the bench. 

Kageyama is right there, standing in front of Hinata, close enough to hear the heavy breaths leaving his mouth. Kageyama’s scowl is deep, folding his face into itself ; his lower lip is tucked underneath the harsh bite of his teeth as he watches Hinata, still a little confused. Kageyama’s hands curl into fists, blunt nails digging into the flesh of his shaky palms. The team is watching Hinata carefully, Kiyoko sitting beside him, opening up a packet of towelettes. Kageyama cannot understand how he let a crucial observation slip past him. He had gotten a glimpse of his tired eyes, the excessive amount of sweat dampening his shirt, dripping off his face and down his neck. He knew in the back of his mind, how tired Hinata must’ve been. Then why didn’t it click when it needed to? How could Kageyama let him reach this point of debilitation?

* 

_“No.”_

_“Kageyama, wait, just listen.”_

_“I already told you, no.”_

_“Why? I’m doing it for the team.”_

_“You’re doing it for yourself, because you can’t get over your obsession of being the ace.”_

_Hinata clenches his jaw, walking to the setter practicing against the wall. “I want to be better; cheers and a spotlight are useless unless I get to use them to score for my team.” He halts directly opposite Kageyama. “You’ve always had a team, you’ve always been the person scoring; why can’t I, as well?”_

_“That’s not what this is about.”_

_“It is. I don’t understand what your obsession with tying me down is. First, with the open eyed quicks, and now these spikes. Do you really want to surpass me that bad?”_

_Kageyama’s scowl deepens and he takes a step forward, now chest to chest with the middle blocker. “I’ve already surpassed you.”_

_“No, you’ve forced me to stay beneath you.”_

_Kageyama is taken aback, staring at him wordlessly for a few seconds. Hot flames of anger lap at the walls of his stomach as he glares into Hinata’s fiery eyes. His face settles into a frown as he raises a hand to clutch Hinata’s collar, knuckles turning white in the grip. He tugs Hinata upwards. “Are you saying I’m purposely pushing you down? Even if it harms the team?”_

_“Your small brain finally understood something.”_

_“How dare you?” Kageyama growls, his nose almost touching Hinata’s._

_Hinata holds the glare; unflinching, he places his hand firmly around Kageyama’s fist, not trying to remove it, but letting him know he’s not giving in easy._

_“You have no idea what I can do for our team. What I am doing.” Kageyama spits._

_“You’re sabotaging our chances to win.”_

_In a split second, he’s shoving Hinata away, enough to make him lose his balance. Hinata immediately retaliates, shoving at Kageyama’s chest with both his hands, sending him crashing into the wall._

_“You idiot! You’re the one breaking this team! Why do you keep pushing and pushing for something new when we’re as good as we can get right now!” Kageyama shouts, face and neck flushed._

_“We can be better!”_

_“You’ll ruin everything we’ve worked for.” He spits, all but venomously._

_“Stop it!” Kiyoko’s strict command travels through the court, from where she is standing at the entrance._

_The pair tear their gazes from each other hesitantly, turning to see Kiyoko make her way to them. She stands before them, expressionless, save for a slight crease on her forehead._

_“You both need to take a break.” She states._

_The boys know to remain silent, owing to the punishment that followed the last time they argued heatedly with their senpais._

_“You’re always around each other, it’s normal that you end up fighting.” She looked at each of them pointedly. “But right now, take a step back, and cool it.”_

_Kageyama clicks his tongue softly, turning his head away completely, toward the wall._

_She sighs. “Go home, we’ll talk about it tomorrow morning.”_

_“I thought the third years don’t have school tomorrow,” Hinata says in a quiet tone._

_“I do.” She says with finality, and Kageyama looks up at her, catching the sharp tinge in her ebony eyes. “I’ve watched you both since the first enrollment; what just happened isn’t like you at all.”_

_The angry pair deflate; heads downcast, they bow, apologize and proceed to clean the gym. On the way home that night, Hinata and Kageyama walk on opposite sides of the road. The former strolls beside his cycle, hands loosely gripping the handles. The latter walks faster, leaving a small gap between them, his hands shoved deep within his jacket pockets, scowl settled firmly on his face. Both of them are thinking, sinking into their minds, riddled with thoughts of each other. Silently, they walk all the way to Kageyama’s house; ceaselessly, Hinata mounts his bike and cycles the rest of the way to his own house. In the oddest way, they both instinctively know what needs to be done._

_The next morning Kageyama and Hinata don’t race each other to the door, they merely walk at a distance, mimicking the night before; heads hung low, both pair of eyes swollen and red rimmed. Kiyoko is already waiting for them at the gym when they arrive, one leg crossed over the other as she sits on a foldable chair next to the cart of balls. A warm smile places itself across her face when she spots the pair._

_“Good morning,” She says cheerfully._

_Hinata and Kageyama cannot help but smile back, the former’s smile a little duller than usual, and the latter’s barely a smile at all._

_She holds up a plastic bag as they approach her, and extracts two tetra packs of milk from it, offering them one, each. “Drink up before we get started.”_

_“Thank you!” They echo, bowing._

_The boys stab the packets with straws and immediately start slurping at unimaginable speeds, vacuuming every drop of liquid from the cardboard. Kiyoko raises her eyebrows as she watches, the ends of her smile threatening to tug upwards._

_“You have a week till the practice match with Wakutani South. Today, how about we practice some serves, quicks and that 180 spike Hinata wants to try.”_

_Kageyama’s eye twitches, hands clenching into fists, “I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to give him a set I know he’ll miss.”_

_“How are you so sure?” She asks._

_“I know him better than he knows himself.”_

_Hinata turns to look at Kageyama for the first time since their fight, he is staring intently at Kiyoko, jaw set._

_“I see.” Kiyoko keeps her gaze on Kageyama, thinking. “Let’s do it this way, if Hinata serves 10 consecutive balls, then can we practice the 180 thrice?”_

_Kageyama shifts in place, thinking, he wants to refuse, wants to explain how Hinata won’t manage it, wants to explain how the worst thing for them is frustrating and tiring Hinata unnecessarily, wants to state that he won’t ever let Hinata spike a set he has even a slight chance of missing; but Kageyama glances at Hinata, his hopeful face and bright eyes that look so tired, yet so awake. Hinata’s calling out to him, convincing him without needing to say anything. And Kageyama is getting dragged along before he can resist. Kageyama nods._

_After they practice their quick for half an hour, the pair splits to practice serves. Kageyama misses only twice in an hour but Hinata’s having a tougher time. His streak of 10 always fails around the sixth serve, and so he tries again, right from number one. It’s after an hour and a half that Hinata finally manages to serve 10 perfect balls. Kageyama, heaving due to his jump serves, nods at Hinata, looking him fiercely in the eyes._

_Kiyoko is standing next to the cart, already picking up a ball. Hinata takes his place at the front of the court, positioning himself to take off in a run. Kageyama stands diagonally opposite him, at what he thinks would be an optimal distance._

_“Kiyoko-san, please.” Kageyama calls._

_Kiyoko tosses the ball in his direction, watching as Hinata takes off in the opposite direction, towards the back of the court, already preparing to jump. By the time the ball is in Kageyama’s hands, Hinata has started his jump, twisting his body around, and is rapidly reaching his highest point of impact. Kageyama’s set is near perfect as it travels to Hinata, but it misses by half a second, delaying its fall._

_Before anyone can say anything, Hinata speaks up, “One more!”_

_Kageyama nods, wiping his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt. He waits for Hinata to reach his position and requests another ball._

_Kiyoko throws another one at him, just as Hinata starts running, back towards the net, at full speed to the point on the court floor he’s mentally marked. The ball reaches Kageyama’s fingers and Hinata jumps, muscles propelling him off the ground. He can’t see the set yet, as he climbs through the air, but he knows it will be there, when he reaches the top. Hinata’s body rotates 180 degrees in air, lithe body twisting skillfully. The ball spins furiously through the air, stopping for a split second, right in front of Hinata’s palm. He can feel it, it’s perfect. The spike commences in a fragment of a second, no one completely seeing it. Hinata’s hand had made impact immediately, slapping hard onto the ball, sending it flying past the net and onto the other side of the court._

_Hinata lands, immediately turning to look at Kageyama, hoping to find something encouraging in his face. Kageyama’s scowl is still present, but he’s watching Hinata with an emotion he can’t decipher._

_The sound of Kiyoko's claps echoes in the court. Grinning, she says, “That was perfect.”_

_Hinata and Kageyama hold each other’s gaze, unsaid things melt heavily off the air. Hinata suddenly bends in a bow, back perfectly parallel to the floor. “I’m sorry!” He all but yells, eyebrows knitted together, eyes shut tight._

_He hears footsteps approach him, and feels a warm hand weave its way through his thick, sweaty hair. And suddenly he’s being forcefully pulled up. Hinata shrieks as his hands fly to his head, enclosing Kageyama’s wrist. He has been straightened completely and now stands looking up at Kageyama, who’s closer than he thought he would be._

_“Did you mean it?” Kageyama asks, scowl deepening._

_Knowing he’s referring to the sour exchanges of the night before, Hinata shakes his head. “I know it’s been hard for you. You’ve done a lot for us since enrollment, bullying me and protecting the team.”_

_Kageyama’s grip on his hair tightens, “I don’t bully you, dumbass!”_

_“You’re doing it right now, asshole!”_

_The both of them stare at each other, apology still hanging in the air, eyes completely open and unshielded. “You think I’m going to unknowingly tear us apart, don’t you?”_

_Kageyama looks at him for a while longer, contemplating._

_“What are you thinking about for so long? Do you really think that?” Hinata shouts, flushed face scrunched in an upset frown._

_Kageyama glares him down. “No. You’re clumsy, instinctive, stupid, hyper and just dumb.” Hinata gawks at him. “But you won’t do that to your team.” The smaller boy’s frown fades. “You better not.” Kageyama adds quietly. He lets go of Hinata’s hair, making Hinata release the hold on his wrist._

_Hinata smiles a wide, reassuring smile up at Kageyama, and just like that, his eyes don’t look as tired as they did a minute ago._

_“You apologize too; you really hurt me, you know.” Hinata says, smile now turning into a playful pout._

_“Your stupid nervous system doesn’t have the ability to feel such complicated emotions.”_

_“WHAT’D YOU SAY, ASSHOLE!”_

_They choose to ignore the fact that a nervous system can't exactly feel._

_“See, your vocabulary itself, is limited.”_

_“You’re one to talk! It seems like the only word you’ve learnt since birth is ‘dumbass’!”_

_Kageyama snarls, “Ha?”_

_“What? You wanna fight once more? Bring it on!”_

_Kageyama click his tongue and pushes Hinata’s shoulder, not meaning any harm. Hinata has raised his hands in karate chops again and is waiting for an advance. “I’m sorry.” Comes the quiet apology from Kageyama, who is still looking straight at him._

_Hinata’s grin returns immediately. “It’s alright,” He says._

_Kiyoko watches the duo from her place by the net, smiling fondly at the energetic boys. She watches as Hinata starts talking about the perfect spike, complimenting Kageyama endlessly, she watches as a slight blush travels up Kageyama’s neck and cheeks when he calls Hinata a ‘dumbass’ again. A small sigh escapes her; now she knows, no matter what happens, they will always be able to work through it, together. With the balls she tosses back into the cart, she puts away all her concerns as well, knowing she will have countless opportunities to hear the best news from the Karasuno High School Volleyball Club, even after her graduation.  
_


End file.
